Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-05-19

The Chicago Club is badly off for pitch
ers, and herein lies the trouble. Clarkson
is the clubs only thoroughly conditioned
pitcher at present, and, disagreeable as it
may be, II is, nevertheless, true that, with
Flynn in his present crippled condition
and Ryan firm in his determination not to
pitch, there is but little, if any, prob
ability that Chicago will play we'll enough
to win majority OF the games in their
series with any Of the clubs they may meet
until this weakness is remedied. This con-
dition of things, however, can not last for
long. Neither Anson nor Spalding will
approve q team that has shown its inability
to play better ball than Chicago has played
thus far this season; and il Van Haltren
does not join the team at an early day it
may be depended upon that Chicago will
90 out upon its first Eastern tour next week
with two, or at least one, able, experienced,
and thoroughly conditioned pitcher to re-
lieve Clarkson in future. The fact that the
box Is the very dangerously weak point in
the Chicago team, Anson long ago recog-
nized, and that the gap IN the teams ranks
made by this shortcoming will be soon
filed is foregone conclusion.
Not for many seasons past has amateur
baseball enjoyed SO great boom in Chi
cago as it is now experiencing. Every
Saturday afternoon the great open lots
upon the prairies, as well as the lawns of
many of the public parks, are covered with
amateur teams and their friends. With
few exceptions the new rules of tho League
and Association, as given in "Spalding's
Guide" are adhered to. For the benefit
of young players it may be we'll to quote
that veteran in baseball efforts, Bob
Ferguson, Of the Metropolitans, who says
in reference to the work and style of a
player in the field: "To.stop ball we'll re-
quires practice. An infielder should have
quired. The dead ball is much easier to
stop than the lively ball that was In use
when played third base. In those days
the balls came TO you red hot, and il was
frequent occurrence to see q player
knocked off his feet by them. The dead
ball as used now comes to you without
any life, and the only thing Is to have
hard enough hands 10 hold IT, could
describe n number Of ways in which the
ball is stopped. Some players will shin
the ball; that is, they will stop It
with their shins with the intention of
picking II up quickly, but in doing this the
ball is apt to bound away from them.
Again, some players will crowd ball by
dropping on Il With their hands and knees,
but unless they are very quick they are not
have seen players draw the ball, as it is
called, by standing in front of IL with legs
close together, and lot the ball run up to
their hands. This is the worst Of the lot,
for IL the ground is in any way rough the
ball is sure TO bound away TO one side.
The perfect plan, according to my idea, Is
the one which always used, and foundit
to be the most effective, and that is TO
scoop the ball as it comes TO you. This I
do by holding the hands close together and
up let the hands 90 back between the legs
slightly, and when the ball is about a foot
from you, suddenly bring the hands for
ward and run the fingers under the ball. Il
is easy and sure"